Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Health expenditure grew under the Commonwealth government in real terms every single year and we also saw an increasing contribution from the states because they could afford to, thanks to the GST—all the things that you opposed. You were ripping the heart out of the health system on that side of the chamber, decrying the innovations and the prosperity that Australia enjoyed under the former government, and now we are hearing a revisiting, a reinvention, a rewriting of history to suit those now on the treasury bench. What we can establish is that Australians have never been in more debt than they are now, thanks to this government and its incompetent management.

What we do know is that this radical reform of the health system is more three-card monte from this government, more ‘which cup is the ball under?’ It is designed to trick and obfuscate and hide the truth from the people of Australia. Not one extra bed will be created. No extra money will be going into it. There will be no change to the health system, except there will be more control exerted by Kevin Rudd. Kevin Rudd has failed to deliver at every possible step, and what he has delivered has been mismanaged and has resulted in an appalling waste of money, improper training in job creation programs and unfortunately, I regret, the ultimate price has been paid by a number of Australians. It is shameful. I know Senator Marshall and his troupe will get up here and it will be flamboyant theatre, ‘show business for ugly people’, as he carries on in order to get his moment in the sun. But I am disappointed when we cannot rely on getting the truth. This chamber should rely on the truth. We should be able to rely on the integrity of other senators not to mislead the Australian people, and I want to stand and correct the record.